Toronto Maple Leafs need to upgrade depth in free agency

If the Toronto Maple Leafs want to learn from another failed playoff run, they need to make sure they have quality depth to support their core players.

While many were expecting sweeping changes to the Toronto Maple Leafs this off-season, it has been pretty quiet so far and the start of free agency could change all that.

There are clear needs the team needs to address and have a couple of avenues to go about addressing them but a limited amount of cap space will limit their options. This is where the team needs to find the diamonds in the rough considering many teams will be overpaying players with a certain quality.

Zach Hyman is off to Edmonton which leaves an obvious hole on the team’s top line and they already have a vacany to fill at left wing on the second line. Depending on what happens with Alexander Kerfoot, a third line centre is also a position of need considering Kergoot and Pierre Engvall have proven that they’re not capable of that role.

With Jack Campbell pencilled in as the starter, the team definitely needs to make sure they have a steady option behind him. This is where a cheap backup might not be enough as they need something more reliable in case Campbell gets hurt or is unable to handle the workload.

On the blue line, the departure of Zach Bogosian leaves a need for another right-handed shot on the third pairing. At this rate, two right-handed defencemen would be ideal considering the need for depth in case of injury.

Not every need can be addressed in free agency and expect a trade or two to come about considering general manager Kyle Dubas has said teams have been calling about players on his roster.

With that being said, here is a detailed breakdown of what the Leafs need and potential options they could look at in both free agency and on the trade market.